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Combat Walker
A Combat Walker (also known simply as 'Walkers' or 'Mechs') were bipedal armored infrantry fighting vehicles that stood with a vaguely humanoid shape to them. They are used by the UNSC military for fire support and long range recon. While serving the same role as a tank, a Walker also has an intimidation factor that other forms of military vehicles simply don't have. Humanity seems to be the only civilization that has attempted to create a Walker. This makes them a unique military unit especially facing the Covenant. Though the Covenant do indeed use Mechanized units like Scarab tanks, they do not seem based off of an actual design Description & History The concept of a literally mechanized form of infantry has existed in Human culture for hundreds of years, even before the advent of spaceflight. Science fiction stories always told of giant Human-shaped robot that stood above the cities and any army. These were machines that could level city blocks without gaining a scratch. The first military applications of such an idea were in suits of exoskeletons that were intended to enhance the abilities of soldiers. As time went on, these exoskeleton suits grew to the point where they were far larger than the men and women that they were designed to encapsulate. One of the first major uses of a powered exoskeleton suit was with the HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark I Prototype Armor Defense System, which was the first general use of a 'mech-suit' that was to be used by general infantry suits and not Spartan supersoldiers. These were intended to be used in the wider battlefield. The Mark I possessed rotary cannons, missile launchers, a tank cannon, and was equipped with jump jets, which allowed it to gain a vertical element on the battlefield. The Mark I was only the beginning for private companies to construct what would evolve into Combat Walkers. The HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX "Mantis" Armor Defense System far more resembles the Walkers of today than the Mark I. The Mark IX would stand at 25 feet in height and would be armed with autocannons, missiles, and energy shields. The Mantis would be one of the first mechs that would pave the way for the modern Walker system. In the first centuries following the Covenant War, private companies saw the financial success of the Mantis and decided to follow suit with Armor Defense Systems that were similar, yet different. This created a 'Mech Market' where multiple private corporations would compete to make the perfect walker that would be accepted by the UNSC, who were making entire units that were dedicated to nothing but these bipedal monsters. The first true Walker Unit was formed in 2817 with a unit being made up of Fireteams of up to four Walkers. The favored design of Combat Walkers seems to be a 'chicken walker' design that had the knee bending backwards as opposed to a general Human knee. The reason for this is because this knee joint design was much better at absorbing the impact of moving while still balancing the weight of the walker. This also allowed the pilot to 'park' their mech and exit quickly. Though larger classes of mechs do have a more Humanoid shape. Walker models commonly have hard points for weapons and armor to be attached, though some things like machine guns are commonly attached on the body as a backup weapon. Some Walkers carry shields, but this often means that they are underarmored, whereas larger Walkers have the opposite effect. Controlling a Walker is simple. The cockpit is modelled after a mixture between a tank and an airplane. The pilot is seated with a helmet that projects a HUD on the visor. This way he or she will have an idea of how their vehicle is faring with things like heat and armor integrity projected. The helmet allows smaller weapons on pivoting joints, while a joystick that is placed on the right side of the cockpit controlls where larger weapons were pointed, including missile launchers. On the left, a throttle would allow the pilot to control their speed. At the feet, the pilots had two foot pedals that controlled the spin of the upper part of the Walker. Every Walker was capable of 360 degree rotation independant of the lower half of the vehicle, which gives them an edge in combat. On the upside, Walkers are incredibly intimidating. Against Human opponents, a Walker causes a feeling of fear that is hard to explain or replicate with any other technology. The fact that something so Human-like yet not being Human at all is a frightening prospect to face, especially since it can run faster, hit harder, and take more hits than any soldier. Each Walker can be armed for a specific mission, and they were sealed so that they could operate in different atmospheres, under extreme pressure on the bottom of the ocean, and even in the vacuum of space. In some situations, Walkers are escorts for convoys who can intercept threats quickly and with show. On the downside, Walkers are seen to be impractical by some military strategists. Some see Walkers as a giant-slow moving target that is easy to hit. This is not false. There are indeed strategies that can be in place to take down mechs by destroying their legs, which would effectively render the vehicles inoperable. A simple EMP burst will also shut down a Walker in whatever it is doing. In midstride, this can be disastrous for the mech and the pilot. In some situations, a Walker can indeed be impractical, but they can negotiate some terrain better than a tank can. This means that both types of tanks are useful for different purposes. The myth of a thermonuclear blast has plagued pilots as a terrible way to die, but combat situations have proved that such occurences did not happen as exaggerated. The reactors simply shut down when the Mech was destroyed. If explosions did occur, it resulted when ammunition was detonated. In the event that a Walker was in danger of being destroyed, the pilot has two options: the first is that they can shut down their Walker and exit from the cockpit, or they can eject from their craft. Explosive bolts fire the canopy forward and away from the cockpit while a rocket ignites under the pilot's seat, blowing the pilot up and away from their damaged vehicle, up to five thousand feet away from the battle. Paracutes activate and allow the pilot to vacate the area where they can later be picked up. While the UNSC is the only military to field a Walker in military combat, Mobians have become interested in buying some designs from the UNSC, especially to combat Robotnik on even footing. Pilots of such machines are called either 'Pilots' or 'Walkers' even. Some are even jokingly called 'Mechwarriors'. Models Misriah MechWorks *WK041 "Wolverine", Light *WK192 "Firefox", Medium *WK481 "Boomer", Heavy The Materials Group *HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX "Mantis" Armor Defense System Behind the Scenes Walkers in the Chaos Chronicles were very much inspired by the BattleMechs of BattleTech. I was, and still am a fan of Western mech design where they seem much more practically designed rather than maneuverable Anime-style. With maneuverability, one sacrifies protection. A target this size is going to be shot, and shot a lot. Being able to defend yourself is a big plus to me. Plus, I find that Western Mechs can be far more iconic, whereas I found that Eastern Mecha are more based around one singular design. Back in the early years of the Chaos Chronicles, the Walkers WERE BattleMechs. In the first couple stories, I meshed elements of BattleTech into the already crossed over Sonic/Halo environment complete with reference to the Clans, The Inner Sphere, Union-class Dropships, and with actual Mechs being referred to by name by the characters. Since I finished Soldier's Log ''way after ''Shadow in the Dark ''and ''The Terran Incident, I was able to better design the mechs that were used there instead. Now, especially with the inclusion of the Mantis in Halo 4, I feel much more comfortable using them now than before. Trivia *The pilot's nickname of 'Mechwarriors' is a shoutout to the BattleTech universe where pilots of BattleMechs are referred to by the same name. Category:Technology Category:Weapon Category:UNSC Category:Military